Boston real estate

Boston real estate

The Beacon Hill condo market in February 2026 is characterized by a "high-velocity" start to the year, with low inventory driving strong competition. Demand remains robust for historic properties, leading to rapid "Under Agreement" status for mid-market units, while the ultra-luxury segment ($3M+) is seeing a slight inventory surplus. Market Snapshot (February 2026) Median Sale Price: Approximately $1.81 million, reflecting a significant year-over-year increase. Median Price per Sq. Ft.: Roughly $1,410, with luxury units reaching up to $2,000 per sq. ft.

So many homes now have high efficiency sealed combustion boilers and furnaces that do not vent out through the chimney at rooftop height. These units typically will have their intake and exhaust going out through the side of the house. These do need to be high enough off the ground to allow for typical snow patterns, but snow drifts due to high winds can pile pretty high, and this next storm is coming with very high winds.

As of January 2026, Boston's condo inventory is currently in a state of "recalibration," characterized by a modest overall increase in listings even as supply remains historically tight. Modest Growth: Real estate experts project a 5% to 10% increase in inventory levels throughout 2026. This rise is partially driven by a "thaw" in the market as sellers, previously "locked in" by low mortgage rates, begin to list their properties due to life events like job changes or growing families.

© 2026 MLS Property Information Network, Inc. (MLSPIN). All rights reserved. The property listing data and information, or the Images, set forth herein were provided to MLS Property Information Network, Inc. from third-party sources, including sellers, lessors, landlords, and public records, and were compiled by MLS Property Information Network, Inc. The property listing data and information, and the Images, are for the personal, noncommercial use of consumers having a good faith interest in purchasing, leasing, or renting listed properties of the type displayed to them and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties which such consumers may have a good faith interest in purchasing, leasing or renting. MLS Property Information Network, Inc. and its subscribers disclaim any and all representations and warranties as to the accuracy of the property listing data and information, or as to the accuracy of any of the Images, set forth herein.

Entering 2026, 32% of real estate agents surveyed by Inman Intel considered leaving the industry-a rate 1.5 times higher than at the start of the year. While the 2024 "fence-sitters" were primarily driven by industry upheaval and the initial NAR settlement rules, the motivations shifted significantly by late 2025. According to Intel's analysis, the primary reasons for the spike in exit considerations in 2025 included:

The property listing data and information, and the Images, are for the personal, noncommercial use of consumers having a good faith interest in purchasing, leasing, or renting listed properties of the type displayed to them and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties which such consumers may have a good faith interest in purchasing, leasing or renting.

It was the first Sunday in January-the day he arrived at the hardware store on Charles Street and asked to have it cut, the day he fingered its nickel plated edges before placing it in her palm, before she asked if he was sure, with a smile, tucked it inside the zippered pocket of her purse. This was before they spent the summer strolling along the Charles River, before he lost his job and started smoking out on the fire escape, before she locked herself

"It's exciting for me to get back to my roots," the "Million Dollar Listing" star - whose firm deals in million-dollar listings - said. "Boston is the biggest little city in the world. It's built on culture, built on the ethos of the original founders of the United States - this get-up-and-go attitude. That's what I love so much about Boston. It's in everybody's blood to get up and go and make things happen."

Condo Price Index: The Federal Reserve reported the Boston-Cambridge-Newton Condo Price Index at 332.44 in September 2025 (Jan 2000 = 100). This is slightly down from its record high of 336.88 reached in May 2025. Days to Pending: The average time for a Boston condo to go pending is approximately 30 days. Specific neighborhoods vary, with 02132 (West Roxbury) going pending in as little as 14 days and 02116 (Back Bay/South End) taking roughly 55 days.

A Back Bay townhouse on Commonwealth Avenue has sold for $21 million - a blockbuster deal that marks the highest home sale in Boston so far this year, according to the listing agent. The property at 59 Commonwealth Ave. is a single-family townhouse built in 1910, located steps away from the Public Garden, the Esplanade, and the Back Bay shopping mecca.

In November, home prices remained unchanged from the month before, with a median listing price of $899,900. The number of listings on the market shrank 9.5% from last month, which is typical for this time of the year in Boston, and homes are also selling at the same pace as the same time last year. Home prices in Boston Typically, home price per square foot in Boston tend to rise in November. But the most recent data shows that the price per square foot decreased by 1.0% compared with the month before.

Sellers accurately pricing homes is becoming increasingly important, even with our perpetually limited inventory. With a list-to-sale price ratio of 95.5% at the end of November, the data shows that being realistic about what your home is worth on the open market is paramount for sellers. We're simply not in a market where buyers are going over asking price on a regular basis.

As housing, utilities, and everyday costs of living continue to climb, a growing share of Massachusetts residents say the math of staying in the Bay State no longer works. In a recent Boston Globe/Suffolk University poll and an informal survey of Boston.com readers, residents said Massachusetts is just too expensive to get by. The Globe/Suffolk survey found that about one-third of Massachusetts voters have seriously considered leaving the state in the past year because of affordability pressures, even as a majority still believe the state is generally moving in the right direction.

The real estate market was largely frozen in 2025. Boston condo sales continued to slow, as low inventory, high prices and relatively expensive mortgage rates kept many would-be homebuyers locked out of the market. The annual buyer and seller profile from the National Association of REALTORS® found the share of first-time buyers to be at its lowest level in history, as the median age of these buyers hit a record high of 40.